Vehicle-wheel.



No. 863,678. V PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

W. W. VAN ETTEN & L. BROWN.

VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED DEO.3,1906.

7n: NORRIS PETERs c0, wusmuomu. v, c

UNITED sTA Ias PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. VAN ETTEN AND LEVI BROWN, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

VEHICLE-WI-EEEL.

Application filed December 3, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM W. VAN ETTEN and LEVI BROWN, both of thecity of Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description and specification,being such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichourinvention relates to make and use the same with eXactitude.

Our invention relates to vehicle-wheels, being more particularlyintended for automobiles or the like.

The object of our invention, broadly speaking, is to provide a. wheel ofstrong and durable construction, simple in its several elements, andcapable of a wide scope of usefulness and efficiency.

More specifically speaking our object is to provide a wheel in which anyone or all of the spokes may be removed or renewed without disturbingthe rim of the wheel; to provide a wheel having a solid, endless, orone-part folly or rim; and to provide a solid hub, with means forsecurely seating, clamping, and holding the spokes in position.

Other particular objects and advantages will be brought out in thecourse of the ensuing specification, and the essential features will beaccentuated in the appended claims.

The preferred embodiment of our invention is shown most clearly in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows our wheel in elevationand containing our several improvements. Fig. 2 shows our wheel partlydismembered, and showing how the spokes may be removed and replaced.Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of our wheel, as taken on the line XXof Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the hub of our wheel detached fromother parts. And Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of theretaining-rings.

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views.

Our invention consists in the arrangement, construction, and thecombinations of the several parts, together with the relativedisposition of the several parts one to the other, all of which will beset forth in concrete detail hereinafter.

In order that our invention and its operation may be the more fullyunderstood, we will now take up a detail description thereof, in whichwe will describe and refer to the several parts of our invention asbriefly and as compactly as we may.

The letter A designates our wheel-rim or felly, formed of one continuouspiece of material, adapted to receive a suitable tire, and havingcavities located around its inner face to receive the outer ends of thespokes.

The spokes of our wheel are divided into two sets adapted tocounterbalance each other, as shown in Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Serial No. 346,022.

3. One set being designated by the numerals l to 10, inclusive; and theother set being designated by the numerals 11 to 20, inclusive.

The hub of our wheel includes the central body portion B, having theoutwardly extending and slightly tapering ends I) and b, with a centralaperture extending longitudinally through said parts for the vehicleaxle. Extending out around the central portion of the hub, projectingtherefrom, and formed integral therewith, is the zig-zag abutment B,formed by L-shaped notches which are provided in each of the oppositefaces of said abutment, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby forming pockets,each to inclose one half of the base of a spoke, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The letters 0 and 0 denote each a retaining ring, each having its innerface provided with L-shaped notches adapted to engage with said notchesof said abutment, said notches of each ring being oppositely disposed tothe corresponding notches in said abutment. The retaining-ring C has acentral aperture to receive therethrough the end I; of the hub; and inlike manner the locking-ring C has a central aperture to receivetherethrough the end I) of the hub. The diameter of said retaining ringsis equal to the diameter of the hub, as is indicated in the drawings.When the said retaining-rings are in position, as in Figs. 3 and 4, theangular faces of the notches of the abutment and of the locking ringswill engage each other, and said rings are free to move on the ends I)and b of the hub to vary the spaces between the faces formed parallelwith the axis of the hub and formed by the abutment and by saidretaining rings or plates, said spaces being shown in Fig. 4. By theabove it is apparent that the more said locking-rin gs are movedcenterward the less will become the spaces between them and theabutment. Said spaces are provided for receiving the inner ends of thespokes, as shown in the first three figures of the drawings.

The letters D and D designate locking-disks which are adapted to contactwith the outer faces of the retaining rings C and C, respectively, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. Said locking-disks have central apertures toreceive the ends of the hub; Said apertures being threaded to engage theexteriorly threaded portion of the hub, as indicated in Fig. 3. Each ofsaid lockingdisks is provided with a plurality of smooth-bore screwholcslocated around their central aperture, as shown in Fig. l. Formed in anaxial direction through each of the said retaining-rings is a single,threaded, screw-hole located opposite said screw-holes of thelocking-ring.

The letters E and F denote screws, the former being adapted to beinserted in one of said screw-holes in the locking-disk D and screwedinto the threaded screwhole in the retaining-ring C; and the latterbeing adapted to be inserted in one of said screw-holes in thelockingdisk D and screwed into the threaded screwhole in the retainingring 0, all as indicated in the drawings.

Operation: Now suppose the wheel to be dismembered, and that it isdesired to assemble the wheel, "he outer ends of the spokes are insertedin the sockets therelor in the wheel-rim, and the inner ends of thespokes are abutted against the body of the hub, each being seated in one01 the notches 'l'ormed in the faces of the abutment B, in the mannershown in Fig. 2, it being apparent that the spokes may be forced intoposition by reason of their inner ends being caused to travel inwardlyon the tapering periphery of the ends I) and b. After the spokes havebeen positioned as described the retaining rings are then placed inposition as shown in Fig.4; after which the disks D and D are screwedonto the hub ends I) and b from opposite directions, for which purpose aspanner wrench (not shown) may be employed which may engage in two ofsaid holes in either of the disks, whereby said disks will be clampedagainst their respective retaining-rings thereby causing the latter toclamp and securely hold the inner ends of the spokes, as shown in Fig.3. After the disks have been tightened as desired then the screws E andF are to be inserted, thereby preventing the disks from turning orbecoming inadvertently disengaged. Should it become necessary, for anyreason, to remove any one or more of the spokes, for instance the spoke13, I have only to remove the screw F, unscrew and remove the disk D,and then remove the retaining-ring C, after which the spoke may beeasily pulled outward and downward and thereby removed, and reversely anew one may be replaced as indicated.

We desire that it be understood that various changes may be made in thedetails of construction without departing from the spirit of the inventon which is claimed as new.

Having now fully shown and described our invention and the best mannerof its construction to us known at this time, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a vehicle wheel, the combination of a solid rim folly, spokesfitted in said fell a hub against which the inner ends of the spokesabut, an abutment integral with the hub and dividing the alternatespokes on each side thereoi, retaining rings adapted to contact on thesides of the abutment and in connection with the faces of the abutmentforming cavities therebetween for containing the inner ends of thespokes, disks threaded on the hub and contacting with their respectiveretaininga'ings, and means for locking said disks in position inconnection with their respective rings, all substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. A vehicle wheel having a single felly rim, a hub having taperingends, a zig-zag abutment extending out around the center of the hub, apair of retaining-rings adapted to surround the hub and contact withopposite siiles of said abutment and having notches on their inner facesto engage the notches of the abutment, a locking disk for each of saidretaining-rings and adapted to be clamped thereagainst by reason oftheir being threaded on the periphery of the hub, all substantially asshown and described.

3. The combination with the hub proper, of the abutment B having angularnotches on each side thereof, retaining disks to fit over the ends ofthe hub and having notches on their inner faces to interact with thenotches of the abutment to form a plurality of cavities for thereception of the ends of the spokes, means for varying the size of saidcavities by the lateral movements of said retaining disks, outer disksadapted to be run on the periphery of the hub and contact with saidretaining disks, and means for securing said outer disks to saidretaining disks, all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM W. VAN ET'IEN.

LEVI BROWN.

Witnesses Itonnrrr W. HANDLE,

It. It. Immune.

